


Bound for Better Sailing

by Gerbilfriend



Series: Attempts at Navigation [1]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Author loves to chat in comments, Self-Insert, cute kid though, not much plot.
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-09
Updated: 2019-07-21
Packaged: 2019-07-28 17:06:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 36
Words: 9,418
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16246061
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gerbilfriend/pseuds/Gerbilfriend
Summary: She's already cheated the reaper once: what is another time, really?Drabbles on a girl reborn as Portgas D. Ann, sole child of Gol D. Rodger and Portgas D. Rouge.





	1. Chapter 1

 

Consciousness came back slowly for her as she drifted on a sea of black, it had constricted before and she had lain in quiet darkness even when it was so tight she thought she couldn't breathe she felt she had to stay just a little longer and she had allowed herself to be pulled back into slumber but the dark had been lonely and she had struggled, wanting desperately for  _ something.  _

 

Then the lights had come, at first faint like whispers but, as she has focused and reached, brighter and brighter .She distracted herself by chasing the colored, pulsating lights. It was an odd dream but it was safe and warm and she felt herself relax. 

 

The dream went on like that for a while, drifting in and out no wondering about the future or worrying about the past just her and the silent, shimmering lights. 

 

She couldn't breathe, the walls were constricting around her and she started to struggle,  _ I want to wake up!  _ She thought desperately and she tried to force her way out of her prison. 

 

She was out and it was cold and Too Bright. She squeezed her eyes shut trying to block out the light as she opened her mouth to wail.  

 

The Light was fading. It was still too much too fast but The Light was fading. She failed her arms trying to reach The Light to catch the Light but she couldn't, it was fading and she couldn't stop it and she couldn't wake up, all she could do was wail and wail and  _ wail. _

 

It was too cold and too loud and something hurt like her heart was being ripped out of her chest. It was too much too fast. She tried to force herself to wake up, flailing wildly, helplessly as she screamed her desperation to the world.

 

Then there was nothing again.

 

Slowly she fades back into the dream.

 

She is warm now and too relaxed to move.  _ The dream was odd but it's better now, _ the light that she sees through her closed eyelids was orange now.

 

Not the dark that she got used too, _ I might be waking up soon _ , she realized.

 

_ It's nice to just sleep _ , she mused lazily,  _ but what type of dream is this? I've never had a dream like this before.  _

 

The Light was gone. There was another light now brighter and stronger than the quiet light that had held her but still real. It felt like something was aching. Like something was lost and she didn't know what. It wasn't a nice feeling.  _ Oh _ , she realized,  _ this is a sad dream. I hope I wake up soon.  _

 

The dream continued to solidify, slowly she could see more and more. 

 

_ That can't be her,  _ she thinks desperately looking at the blurry shape of in front of her.  _ It can't be. She has brown hair, brown eyes and, most importantly does not look like a baby.  _ She pokes at herself, feeling her cheeks squish as she searches for some proof that this all was a dream.

She ignores the sting as she pulls her lips, her hands uncontrolled and slimy. Desperately she bites down and a scream of pain forces itself out of her mouth.  

 

There's no waking up. 

 

No sudden awareness of her own bed, no opening of her eyes.

 

The coppery taste of blood fills her mouth.

 

She is awake.

 

This is not a dream. 


	2. Chapter 2

 

After the realization that she is not dreaming it is harder and easier to pay attention. 

 

Before she was waiting and confused. She had nothing do do by lie and wait to wake up. She was bored but content and warm.

 

Now she feels cold. It's easy to lie still and limp, immobile.

 

Big Light holds a bottle to her lips and bounces her- trying to get her to drink she assumes. She can feel his  _ worry  _ mixed with  _ determination  _ but she can't be bothered to care, not when her world is gone and she will never wake up.

 

She wants to lie there, to lie still and fade away, _I did it once and that's how I got here maybe I can go home if I do it again?_ She thinks wistfully, its a stupid hope (and she knows, knows that what has happened is irreversible and will never happen again) but she clings to it as she spends more and more time asleep, spends more times in real dreams. 

XXX

The Big Light grows sadder as she pulls back, as she drifts more and more in silence.

 

It's peaceful there, and quiet as she floats, disconnected from everything. 

She is pulled back when Big Light grows determined. The cold air shifts across her face as she is lifted up and carried. It smell different out here, fresh with an odd note she couldn't quite place.

 

Curiously she opens her eyes- blue.

 

The sky is pale, soft blue and the sea is deep and rich. She feels her mouth open as she stares her vision still slightly blurry but transfixed by the sight.

 

The Big Light says something but she can't pay attention- it's enthralling.

 

_ I'm alive,  _ she reminds herself,  _ I'm alive.  _

  
  


When Big Light take her back down she lets herself cry, it feel odd at first to scream as she is awkwardly rocked but as she wails she felt the numbness start to clear from her small body and when Big Light (who she can now tell is bulky with a black beard and blue and white clothes) offers her a bottle she drinks without it being shoved.

His relief glows in her other sight and for the first time she feels guilt.  _ I didn't want to hurt anyone _ , She thinks as she starts to cry (why is she hungry all the time now?), allowing the part of her that is a baby back into control.  _ I will do better now,  _ she resolves herself.

XXX

_ Of course things like that are easier said than done _ , she muses a little later when dumped into a creaky rough "crib" in a room that smells of smoke. 

 

She would live, but first, first she had to grieve. Not run from her grief and drown herself in blackness but think and morn,  _ sorry mom guess you will be planting flowers on my grave…  _ she apologized as she remembered the time her mother had lectured her oh so long ago.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dadan takes the wheel for a chapter

Let it not be said that Dadan is good with children, she knows she isn't. Let it be said that she knows she should be any sane beings last choice as a parent for a child, she knows that too (and really that says so much about Garp). 

 

For one thing children cry, and this one is no exception.  _ If not for my poor ears,  _ she thinks murderously at the brat drinking oh so innocently in her arms.

 

As she held the grubby, but still cleaner than anything else in the hideout, bottle to its mouth Dadan is reminded (yet again) of why she hates children. 

 

And that she will get Magra back for this.

 

She had said that she didn’t want to be responsible for feeding the demon brat.

 

It sucks quietly on the bottle, dark eyes wide open and staring right up at her and Dadan can't help but shiver. 

 

This was not a normal child (at least she hoped not, if this was a normal child then the world was crazier than she thought it was).

  
  


Suddenly its face starts to screw up and its mouth opens wide to unleash a ghastly wail. It's cries are piercing and Dadan can not help but cover her ears- what did she do to deserve this! Feeding the brat was supposed to stop the noise!

 

She ran to the box,  _ Dogra said babies like to be rocked right?  _ But the second starts to carefully swing her arms it shrieks even louder,  _ okay okay don't do that, maybe putting it down would be better _ ?

Desperate Dadan puts the baby back in its box to no avail, it doesn't stop with its piercing shrieks. Each one feels as though it is stabbing her brain. The only improvement is that she can now cover her head with her hands, _I_ _don't know about the father but this brat has the lungs of a demon, when will it run out of breath!_

The intermittent wailing soon becomes part of the background noise. 

 

Sometimes they can find a reason for the loud cries, sometimes they can’t. 

 

"It's like she's grieving for something"  Dogra mused once when it had finally quieted down from piercing wails to horse sobs, "the only time I ever heard wails like that was when… when" he trailed off and Dadan was about to smack the melancholy out of him when it reached up to pat Dogra's chin, tears still pooling in its dark eyes. 

 

Dogra seemed to melt and returned to rocking it, headless of the cries that slowly started back up again as the moment broke.

Dadan's headache was back (already).

Why had she gotten stuck with a brat.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one is so short, I wanted to have a little more of her working though her feelings

She had the feeling that these people really did not know how to take care of babies. It was the way that they held her, awkward and unsteady, in both her senses- that was impressive! A for effort F for everything else, and with how she was mostly left alone, well.. maybe not A for effort… More like C for effort, she was still alive so far.

 

She was bitterly, selfishly glad of this (none of them were going to replace her family). She could be reborn, she could live again. But she would never forget her mother and father. Nor her brother and sister. 

They were hers and nothing could take that away.

 

She refused to lose them.

 

Unlike her name.

 

She had decided to live and part of that was finding out who she was. Thinking of herself as who she was before had hurt, and not in a good way.

 

She was dead- somehow, but she was also alive. And so she would try (after all she had already taken this baby's' life, all she could do was live her own. She had promised herself).


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are slowly advancing, alas for Ann she has not yet put the pieces together...

It was hard to admit it before but watching one of her minders (maybe Dogra? She didn’t have a great grasp on the language) stir that nights pot of something she (she really needed to find out her name soon, being nameless was a pain! It wasn’t her fault if they never referred to her with anything anywhere positive. Half the time she was “you” and the other half wasn’t anywhere near constant, probably and expletive or something ) finally allowed herself to accept it. 

 

She was bored. 

 

She was tired of sitting around all day doing nothing but morning and waiting for the next day, she wanted to move. 

 

The edge of her cradle looked rough but she reached for it anyways, pulling herself up to the edge.

_ I could try and climb out _ , she mused, she could see the beaten, dirty wood floor right outside of her box; there wasn't a drop or anything.  _ Right! Go big or go home, _ it wasn't hard to pull herself up, sure it scratched a bit when her bare skin rubbed against the wooden walls but it wasn't bad and before she knew it she was tumbling out and over, free of her box. _ Victory!  _

 

The landing was slightly painful but not that bad, she hadn’t been off the ground or anything. 

 

Picking herself up she dusted off her dress thing.  _ Not that there is much point, the fabric is not what I’d call clean, _ she mused wryly. 

 

Now to find out where she was. The dirty floor boards felt rough on her soft, bare feet as she took her first step balancing carefully-- she could do this.

 

She had walked before and would walk again. So. There.

 

She wobbled as she picked up her foot and carefully guided it back down. 

One after the other-- what was the feeling. The sixth sense she had had ever since she had been born (and maybe before?) was blaring, something big was coming and it was coming fast. 

 

But it didn’t feel scary.

 

Just loud.

 

The corner she was in was dark, probably the only reason the bandits hadn't seen her walking and tried to put her back in the box.

 

The shadow fell across her face as she tucked herself into the corner and waited.

 

It was closer.

 

And closer.

It was overpowering but almost felt familiar. Suddenly she realized,  _ It was the Big Light that had taken her here!  _

 

There was a bang and she stumbled, jolted by the  _ noise. _

 

She felt her head spin as she was grabbed by Big Light (she really needed to find out his name one of these days) and swung around.

 

_ I think he is talking about me? _ She hypothesized,  _ my grasp of language is still really rough though, I need to get better.  _

 

He spun her faster and her vision started to blur-- _ oh pretty colors,  _ she thought, distracted from her plotting as her vision blurry back into a mass of colors (again, ugh, her vision was just finally getting better and now this).

 

Looking down she got her first real view of Big Light as her vision cleared, still blurry but she could actually see more than shapes now!

The spinning had another unfortunate side effect she realized as her stomach did a flip,,  _ I'm not going to throw up!  _ She thought as she forced the bile back down her throat (maybe though, it's not like he didn’t deserve it). 

 

Big Light (he had a name didn't he? She really needed to figure it out one of these days. Maybe tomorrow?) lowered her and started rubbing her against his cheek, a giggle escaped her as his whiskers tickled her sensitive skin.

 

Soon all she could do was giggle helplessly as she was held tightly in his arms.

 

Finally he seemed to tire of snuggling (that was definitely a snuggle) and turned.

 

The faces of her caretakers were hilarious, they were covered in a layer of debris from the hole (she was ignoring that for now) in the wall.  _ And why doesn’t that feel farmillier,  _ something was niggling at the back of her consciousness, trying to get her to pay attention. 

 

The more that he talked the more she heard Ann repeated, was that her name? She hoped so- it would be nice to have an actual name to think of herself as.

 

He was definitely calling her Ann.

 

She was going with that. 

 

(even if it was just as generic as her name from before _ ) _ . 

  
  



	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry its so short, it just fit that way

Time passed, she learned more of the language (her name was Ann, she was right there. Twenty points to her) and the Big Light (which called himself Grandpa) went and came again.

 

It was then that it hit her.

 

She knew who she was now. The knowledge course through her veins, it feels like staring off the edge of a cliff, like being sucked under a rapid.

 

She was in One Piece. She was Ace. 

 

Expect she was female.

 

Everything else fit. 

 

The Bandits, the woods that she saw through her window, the Garp that crashed through the walls and called himself Grandpa.

 

It fit. And she had already established that this wasn’t a dream.

 

It was real. She was real even if she wasn’t herself anymore. 

 

She wasn’t Ace though, she knew that parents did not determine who a child was, that people had a right to define themselves.

 

She knew that she was wrong, that she wasn’t sure if she should exist. She shouldn’t have been born. 

 

But she had been.

 

Ann knew that she didn’t want to die, again. 

 

She didn’t want to die at twenty- that wasn’t much of an improvement over eighteen.

 

She wasn’t Ace but Ace wasn’t female. She couldn’t (wouldn’t) be Ace, but she could be Ann.

 

She had already decided to live. 

 

And so she would.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ann is still derping around, (some) action will start soon

_ Why is growing so slow,  _ Ann complained mentally (not that she could really complain any other way)- she was so tired of not being able to do anything for herself.  

 

She could feel her legs twitch with a barely restrained need to  _ move.  _

 

_ At least I'm getting better at language,  _ Ann reminded herself- not knowing what was being said was hard.

 

_ That was it!  _ She was done with being trapped. She had been able to clamber out of the box but she had never made it outside before.

 

She missed fresh air and sunshine. And salt. 

 

Even though that one was new.

 

In her past life she had felt no particular attachment to the ocean.  

 

She wasn’t thinking about what that meant.

 

It was good that her crib/box was under a window, carefully she levered herself up, holding onto the sill as she squinted trying to see what was beyond the walls of her prison (it was a prison no matter what it was technically called).

 

_ She would escape it some day, she would! _ , it was all Ann could do to restrain her evil laughter. Even so when she looked at one of the bandits he flinched away. Ann felt her grin widen, she had the power!

 

She just had to use it.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Don't know if this came out right but I tried, happy Thanksgiving to all US readers

It was new years.

 

Grampa had tried to offer her sake. Dadan had refused. Ann was pretty sure it was just because the bandit had wanted the sake for herself.

 

The other bandits had tried to chime in.

 

Ann was four years old. 

 

Well technically she was twenty two but biologically she was four now. 

 

Technically.

 

Ann liked technicalities. 

 

Anyways.  _ Pay attention Ann,  _ she nagged herself as she kicked at the branch she was perched on. 

 

Gramps was approaching from where he had been talking to the bandits.

 

One of them had said that with a demon like her could totally handle some alcohol. 

 

He felt different

 

Harder. 

 

Gramps was serious. Gramps was never serious, not really. Sure sometime his have went dark and he glowered at the bandits but he never felt that way, not ever.

 

Now he did. 

 

It was making Ann anxious. 

 

“Gramps, what's bad”, she asked, trying to keep her annoyance at her limited vocabulary to the side. She couldn’t worry about that now.

 

Gramps was serious.

 

She didn’t remember Garp ever being serious in One Piece.

 

She had a feeling she knew what this conversation was.

 

“Ann, have you ever wondered about your parents?”

 

_ Parents?  _ Ann already knew who her parents were, she didn’t think anybody in the fandom didn’t know who Ace’s parents… oh right. She shouldn’t know that.  _ Opps.  _

 

_ Be honest,  _ she reminded herself, “no”

 

He sighed. “Your father, your father was my rival”

 

“Rival?”

 

“We fought”

 

“So you didn’t like each other?”

 

“It was complicated”. He sighed again. Ann wasn’t used to this Gamps. Gramps broke walls and laughed and swung her around. He didn’t sigh awkwardly.

 

“What's wrong”

 

“Wrong?”. Ann could feel his shock.

 

“You feel sad now”

 

“Bwahahaha”. He laughed. It felt fake. “Look, your father was a complicated man and not everyone liked him and if people found out you were his kid there would be trouble”

 

“Oh”, she couldn’t help but ask, “what was his name”

 

“Gol. D Rodger”

 

“And my mother”

 

“Portgas D. Rouge”

 

“Their both gone now”. It was a statement. 

 

“Yes”

 

It was good to hear their names, even though they weren’t her mom and dad. Somehow Gramps saying them had something fall into place.

 

Ann kicked her feet,  they dangling off the branch. She could see the ground below her. She wasn’t that high up but somehow it felt higher. “People will try and hurt me for them”. She said that as a statement to. She already knew that.

 

Ann could feel his bitter denial. “Yes”, he finally said shortly.

 

“You’re strong. I can feel it Grampa, can you teach me to be strong, so I can be me”

 

She felt him Light Up. It was almost blinding. 

 

And dizzying. Pretty colors.

 

At least he agreed to train her.

 


	9. Chapter 9

_ This is strength,  _ Ann reminded herself the as Garp picked her up and dragged her outside.

 

_ This is strength, Ann reminded  _ herself as he left her in the wood, _ I need to be strong, I will not die (again) _ .

 

_ Of course _ , she mused as she ran (yet again) from a giant tiger,  _ some things are more easily said than done _ . 

 

She kept running as she felts its presence focus in on her determined as she ducked though the thick underbrush. The branches snagged on her tangle of hair and left scrapes on her face.  _ Just a little longer _ , Ann reminded herself _ she was almos _ t.. _. _

_ There! _

 

Ann dashed across the rope bridge, it creaked as her steps rattled it and she felt it start to swing back and forth, back and forth but she kept running and then she was over. The tiger looked at the bridge and then at Ann, she waited, all her muscles tensed to flee again but it turned heading back to the thick underbrush of the forest.

 

_ One challenge down, who knows how many to go _ Ann thought as her scrapes started to sting.

Ann glazed around looking for anything familiar. 

 

She could feel the bandits, with her eyes closed to better focus on her sixth sense and turned trying to line up with the way back.

 

_ Ugh, this will take awhile  _ Ann grounded mentally before shaking her head to forcefully dislodge the thought.  _ If I can't do this I won't survive what is coming,  _ Ann reminded herself. 

 

_ This is strength in this world, and I have no choice but to be strong. _


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Progress

She rearranged the straps on her bag (sackthingy, she wasn't quite sure what to call it but it worked) and got back up.  _ I do need to catch something. I don’t have enough meat yet and I am out of squirrels _

 

The trees loomed over Ann as she stared up, she could hear the noises of crickets and other small bugs. Reaching out with her sixth sense Ann strained herself, searching for game the right size.

 

Not around her, she would have to keep moving to find anything. 

 

As she walked back into the forest on the other side. The sticks and dried leaves crunched under her feet as she walked. 

Ann winced and tried to shuffle her feet more in an attempt to move more quietly. 

 

Ann felt a flare of something from one other the bright spots, Ann furrowed her eyebrows as she concentrate on the spot. 

 

_ It felt familiar,  _ Ann realised as she tried to get even more details. 

_ Ouch! _ Ann winced and rubbed her temples as she felt her temple start to pound. She fisted her hands, feeling her nails drive into her palms as she forced herself to focus more on the spot, ignoring the other lights that glittered like a field of stars.  _ Dogra!  _

 

Ann sighed as she reopened her eyes letting her focus trickle away (but not the headache ugh- why does she always end up headache prone, sure it's only been twice but the point remains. Headaches!).

 

_ Might as well see what he's doing,  _ Ann thought,  _ it's not like I have anywhere else to go.  _

 

It wasn't that long of a hike. Ann moved swiftly through the forest, marvelling at how much easier it was than the first time. 

 

Even if she still made too much noise.

 

Quickly she arrived outside the clearing that Dogra was in, standing half hidden by a (very convenient) tree she watched him wander around.  _ Have I ever seen him hunt? _

 

She wasn't sure. 

 

Most of her hunting lessons had been Dadan or Gramps dragging her out into the woods and telling her to punch things. She was probably better than him at taking game, she still wasn’t quite sure how to clean it.

 

She reached out, feeling to see if there was any game around as she pushed through her headache. 

 

Nothing. Well, nothing that Ann was strong enough to catch (yet). 

 

_ Should I?  _ Ann debated as a mischievous smile grew on her face, almost involuntarily. 

 

“Boo”, she said flatly, emerging from behind the tree as Dogra jumped (almost twice his height, that was impressive).

 

“Ann”, he said, almost a shriek, “you scared me!”

 

“Sorry”, Ann said, obviously unrepentant

 

He was turning slightly purple. Opps. She was about to tell him to take deep breaths when his colors started go to normal. “What can I do for you”, he said, aggravation still obvious in his voice.

 

"If I bring back meat will you cook, and teach me how to cook? And help me clean it. Dadan got mad at me last time cause my deer was all fouled up" Ann asked, watching Dogra try to hunt was sort of pathetic. She wasn't great but he was  _ worse _ .

 

All they had were the few squirrels that had been in Ann’s traps. They were much larger than the squirrels that Ann had known before but they still wouldn’t be enough. Her apatite was ridiculous now. 

 

She was so done with being always hungry- her metabolism was ridiculous.

 

It was why she needed to hunt. 

 

Dogra had somehow managed to scare off all the game, it was kind of impressive in a pathetic sort of way.

 

She was a better hunter than him and she was sort of five.

 

“Deal. I’ll even teach you how to prepare it so you don’t end up in intestinal distress like last time”

 

“Hey!”. Ann could feel herself blushing as she walked all the way over to him.

 

“Deal?”, he said offering his hand.

 

“Deal”. Ann confirmed, shaking it. He didn’t even have to bend down.


	11. Chapter 11

_Nothing for it,_ Ann decided as she finished cleaning the numerous scrapes and gouges she had gotten from her desperate run through the forest.

 

She had gotten too close to the Tiger Lord.

 

It had not been her best idea.

 

Her hair was full of twigs and various other bits of detritus and Ann didn't feel like wasting the time to try and clean it.

 

 _Long hair is more trouble than it was worth,_ Ann decided as she tried to yank a twig out off the curly black mass.

 

 

 

She failed but the yank sent sharp lances of pain to an already aching head.

 

 

 

 _I could cut it myself but I can't reach the back, time to bother Dadan,_ nodding decisively to herself and pushes up of the rough, scored floor that she had been sitting on and marched over to Dadan.

 

 

 

"Will you cut my hair above my ears" Ann demands looking straight up at Dadan.

 

 

 

"Sit down brat" Dadan says as Ann hastened to obey.

 

 

 

The lightness is odd, both old and familiar but new and strange as Dadan sawed away at the mess.

 

 

 

She had had short hair _before_ and the only reason she had let it grow so long was that it hadn't mattered until she had gotten snagged while running: then long hair had been a liability and Ann didn't have time for liabilities.

 

 

 

Especially not ones she hadn't wanted in the first place.

 

 

 

"Thanks"   

 

 

 

"Now shoo brat" Dadan said, again not acknowledging what Ann was trying to say. Pointedly not looking back. Typical. Ann knew what Dadan was really thinking.

 

 

 

Ann got back up to go over to her corner and finish nursing her wounds.

 

 

 

The air felt cool on the back of her neck and she shivered. It was a good shiver.

 

 

 

It felt a little like freedom.

 


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys enjoy this. If you have any thoughts please share them, this is my most read story (such an achievement :P) but it has the fewest comments

"I'm pretty good at cooking now, right Dogra?" Ann looked at him curiously.  _ Start with something nice so he is willing to listen to you.  _

 

It was always good to have a plan.

 

"You're not bad, for a brat" Dogra retorted before looking back down at his book. _Thats_  s _ omething, but he needs to pay attention. _

 

Ann huffed and waved a hand in between him and the pages, _ sorry reading gods _ she apologized. Someday she would pay her penance for interrupting him while he was reading.

 

"What is it brat" Dogra said, glaring up at her.

 

Ann took a breath, "Teach me".

 

It had been far too long since she had read a book.

 

She found that unacceptable.


	13. Chapter 13

Ann sometimes wished that Garp- Gramps was sexist, not really it would be a pain if he was but if Gramps was sexist than she wouldn't be pulling herself as small as she could under a log to avoid a thrashing.

He would find her anyways but it was the attempt that mattered, just giving into the beating under the guise of "training" seemed a little too easy to Ann. Besides she had tried that once and it just made him worse. No, Ann knew he liked the chase just as much as the beating that would follow. In truth she liked the challenge too. The challenge of seeing how long she could last, not that she would ever admit it.

That would just encourage him.

Too soon he found her. 

 

Once the session was over. I.E. when Garp decided he had finished tormenting her, they both sat in front of a fire.

 

It was a nice fire.

 

Ann was feeling sore and tired and curious, she was five and she knew nothing about her mother. About the women who died so she could be born.

 

That needed to be fixed. 

 

“Hey Gramps, what were my parents like?”. 

 

He actually stilled for a moment, even his star. 

 

“Your parents were strong. They fought for what they believed in, I may not have agreed with them but I did respect them”. The seriousness in his normally jovial voice sent shivers down Ann’s spine. “But you better not copy them!”, he ordered.

 

Ann really didn’t need the slap to the head he used to punctuate his statement. 

 

She had assumed he was done with the training of the day.

 

Opps.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is my first real arcy thingy. I hope it goes well :D

_ I’m bored.  _ Why did so much of Ann’s second childhood revolve around being bored? She didn’t used to be this antsy.

 

It was annoying, but not as annoying as being bored.

 

She was so done with being bored. 

 

She had tried Dadan, the women had shooed her away as soon as she had gotten close.

 

She had tried Magra, he too ignored her.

 

She had tried Dogra, he would normally be trusted to come up with something. A new book, a story, anything to break the monotony.

 

Even he had failed her.

 

The rest of the bandits were no better, they had all gone off on their daily tasks.

 

Ann stopped stabbing the wall. 

 

What were their daily tasks? 

 

She knew some of them, others had left and were almost at the edge of her range. 

 

That was an idea. 

 

She needed to investigate.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some headcannons of mine are now coming into play

“What do you guys do when you leave?”.

 

Magra looked at Ann. She wondered what he thought about her, he hadn't been around the base for a bit. He left some time with the other bandits, leaving Ann with Dogra and Dadan.

 

“You mean you don’t know brat”. His smile was full of broken teeth. It looked painful. “Your Gramps made it so we couldn’t steal anymore, instead we hunt other bandits”.

 

That was… interesting. “Can I come?”. It would be different after all. 

 

“Nah, ven if you take down animals fighting humans is way different. You might be a demon of a brat but I don’t want to see what would happen if your devil of a Grandpa saw we took you hunting. You are five”.

 

Why did people keep mentioning that, it was getting annoying. 

 

She could totally look after herself. She didn’t endure Gramps' training for nothing.


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> See end of the chapter for notes

It was stupid and instinctive but the second that Ann saw the blade get closed to Magra’s back she felt her feet pushing her out of the tree.

 

It was over in seconds, the bandit couldn't do anything about the sharp spear.

 

Ann could feel everything. The moment when victory turned to confusion. The shock as the light died. 

 

She had felt death before, yes, but not like this. Not sapient. Not because of her, never because of her.

 

She couldn’t move. The world was blurred around her. 

 

Innent came. She blocked. 

 

She tried to strike out. 

 

She couldn't.

 

The other light died anyways. 

 

Soon only the familiar lights were shining. Where the other stars were was darkness.

 

Ann couldn’t breathe.

 

Why was there so much darkness?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So One Piece has eaten my mind and I was wondering if either of these idea's sounded cool? (Note both summaries and tittles and subject to change, the concept would be the same)
> 
> The Wind in My Sails:
> 
> “Klabautermann only appear when the ship is doomed”, how long does it take for that to happen? When does a ship count as doomed? What if you had already seen it? Could you appear then?. Or, a person is reborn as the Kabuterman of the Moby Dick, and seeks to prevent it's doom. 
> 
> Divided Tides:
> 
> Memories are supposed to be cleaned out of a soul during reincarnation, unfortunately her’s didn’t wash out. Ironic considering her mother ate the wash-wash fruit. But hey, it’s not like she can’t think of a laundry list of things to do in this new world. 
> 
> Let me know what you think!


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is actually one of my favorite chapters? I hope you guys like it. Also thanks for the comments last chapter, I really appreciated it!

Magra didn’t know what to do. One moment there had been a member of some no name bandit troop sneaking up on him with a spear.

 

The next moment there had been Ann. 

 

What was the girl doing here?

 

He slashed out with a sword, taking another one of the combatants out of the picture, one eye on Ann.

 

Something had changed in her posture, her block with the spear seemed almost robotic. 

 

“Let’s finish this up boys”. Magra fought faster. He didn’t have time for this.

 

Watching the last of the bandits fall was normally satisfying, their camp would have all sorts of things that the Dadan bandits needed and it wasn’t like they could raid directly anymore, but now he had another concern.

 

Ann had gotten worse. She was curled up in a ball, still covered in blood.

 

“What should we do boss”, Grant asked as he wiped the flat of his blade on a corpse.

 

Normally Magra would stay to supervise, to make sure everything got where it needed to be. 

 

Normally Ann wasn't here.

 

He made his choice. “You guys take care of this, I’m taking Ann back to the base”. He scoped the girl up, she seemed so small like this. 

 

Not at all like the girl than hunted all manner of game, bringing back tigers even he would hesitate before fighting- the demon brat.

 

How long had it been since he had picked her up?

 

She was muttering about darkness. He didn’t know what to do.

 

Maybe Dadan would?


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is going to be on hiatus for two weeks, I have a trip so I won't have time to write. Hope you guys enjoy this chapter!

“It’s not right”, Grant says as he stares at the quiet, empty form on the bed.

 

Unmoving, she looks terribly young. 

 

Dogra nods as he watches the still form, remembering careful fingers tracing the words in the book.

 

He had promised her a new book, that they could read it together.

 

“I never thought I’d end up caring for a brat”, Dogra confesses, “but you’re right, it’s not right”. Part of him wants to hate Garp. Without Garp they never would have had to deal with Ann, never would have had to change pattern and-

 

He pulls away from these thoughts. 

 

“The food doesn’t even taste right”, Dylan chimes in from stirring the pot. “Never realized how much the demon did around here until she decided to finally take a nap”. 

 

Dogra starts laughing at that, he can’t help it. He remembers all the times he wished the baby would Just Shut Up so they could get some sleep. Ann hasn’t cried like that in years. 

 

He would take that over the silence.

 

Even Dadan was out of sorts. She had glared, tried to at least, Dorgra knew she was faking it. When Magra had come in carrying the unmoving, blood covered form in his arms she had been the first to react. 

 

She had been even less sober than usual since. And that was saying something.

 

_ Stupid brat. Wake up already. _


	19. Chapter 19

There is darkness. And light.

 

Are they floating? Who are they?  Or maybe what?

 

Are they a they? Do they exist?

 

They don’t know.

 

They settle and the darkness rocks them.

 

Somehow this feels familiar.

 

They remember something.

 

It echos, and she tugs on it. 

 

How do they remember something if they are light and darkness?

 

That can’t be right. They are something else too, they have to be. They are a they after all.

 

Something had hurt them. 

 

A lot. 

 

Something is reaching out to them.

 

Other lights.

 

They are sad. 

 

They do not like this, sadness is not peaceful.

 

They want peace. They do not like hurt.

 

She knows those lights. She doesn’t want them to hurt.

 

She reaches out.

 

It's hard, so very hard but the lights are hurting and she- Ann won’t let that continue. She had to help them.

 

Ann tries to open her eyes, something holds them shut. 

 

She reaches out with a hand, they feel crusty. She rubs the crust away. 

 

Glancing around she sees Dogra curled up by the pile of furs she uses as her bed. 

 

He looks peaceful.

 

Her throat is dry. Water. The chipped cup that she normally has on a shelf by her furs has been moved. Ann glanced around, looking for something to drink.

 

She stayed quiet through, hunter’s feet experienced at not making a sound. 

 

She is staring.

 

Dogra is staring back. 

 

“Hi?”. She offers.

 

It comes out scratchy. 

 

Dogra is… crying? Why is Dogra crying?

 

And hugging her?

 

Ann leans into the hug, she isn’t quite sure what is causing it but...

 

But she missed being hugged. 

 


	20. Chapter 20

 

She gets an explanation the next morning. 

 

Sort of.

 

Most of the bandits are drunk, somehow a party started up after Dogra had called Magra, but Dadan was still sober.

 

Somewhat.

 

Instead of staying in the main room they went into Dadan’s own room.

 

Ann scanned the place, she hadn’t actually been in here before.

 

It was full of weapons and treasure. 

 

That Ann expected.

 

But there was a desk in the corner.

 

Why was there a desk?


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Actually pretty happy with this chapter- hope you guys enjoy~

“Surprised brat”, Dadan said with a huff and rolled eyes, “someone needs to keep track of everything- I’m not the Bandit Queen of Dawn Island for nothing”.

 

“I thought it was Dogra”, Ann said, not quite sure if it was a retort or not.

 

“Shush demon brat”. Dadan said. Ann could tell there was no real heat in that. Just vague amusement, tinged with a deeply hidden affection.

 

“So why am I in here”,

 

“Why did you collapse”.

 

“Why do you think I know?”. Inside her mind was overdrive, how much should she say, what should she do. Why hasn't she planned for this. 

 

“I changed your diapers brat, I know you”.

 

That was… not something Ann wanted to think about. At all. 

 

Ever.

 

“We’re not leaving until you spill. Passing out in combats no good for anyone. I won’t have that sort of weakness”.

 

That was what made Ann’s decision. Dadan might be a hag but she was also right. It was a risk.

 

“Lights”. There was a name- Ann wouldn’t admit to that. She wasn’t stupid. “There are these lights and I use them for tracking and feeling but then that one went out and pulled me with it and I don’t”, to her embarrassment her voice was getting high and stressed, the way it did before, “-know what to do”. She cut herself off there.

 

“Should’ve known it’d be something odd. Next time Garp shows your telling him. No following us until after- you understand”, Dadan barked out. 

 

“I”, Ann hated her old friend the stutter, “I do”.

 

“How do you feel about staves”

 

“What?”. Ann blinked at the non squitere. 

 

“I’ve seen you use daggers to gut, we can go with those as well. Just figured you’d like something larger as well”.

 

“Are you offering to teach me how to fight?”.  _ Did that happen to Ace?  _

 

“It’d be a pain if you died before you became useful”. 

 

Dadan was totally hiding her feelings.

 

What type of brat would Ann be if she didn't’t put a stop to that. A tackle hug was a good start, she was shoved off and kicked out quick- she could still feel Dadan’s blush through the walls.

 

Today was a good day.


	22. Chapter 22

Learning to fight from Dadan was… different than learning to fight from Gramps.

 

Ann held her wood staff steady as the Bandit Leader correct her form. 

At first Dadan had suggest a blade on the end.

 

Ann had tried.

 

But.

 

But there had been a blade on the spear and then there had been blood and emptiness and even holding one felt like a call to somewhere she didn’t want to go.

 

In the end she was holding a staff. 

 

It was uncomfortably like a pipe. 

 

A smack of Dadan’s staff on her shin shocked her out of her thoughts.

 

“Better stop daydreaming brat”, Dadan lecture.

 

_ Nevermind. It’s just the same. _


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pretty fond of this one. Hope you guys like headcanon

Apparently there was more to the Dadan Bandits than the grubby shack that they lived in.

 

When Ann expressed her surprise over that Dadan expressed her disappointment with a whack on the forehead. 

 

“What was that for”, Ann snapped as she rubbed her head. Just because something like that didn’t bruise didn’t mean it wouldn’t hurt!

 

“Dogra you explain, she followed you and Magra after all. I’m going to get drunk”. Ann could hear Dadan ranting about brats with no respect as she walked off, probably to get drunk. 

 

Ann ignored that. She wanted to know more about the Dadan Bandits. 

 

She sat in the grass as Dogra showed her a map of the island. She could see Windmill Village, Goa Kingdom- she remembered those names. There were others she didn’t remember. 

 

“Right”, Dogra said as he pointed to the map, “we call ourselves bandits, and we used to raid and steal with the best of’em, but now we are more,” he paused for a second. “Hired protectors. Your Grandpa cracked down on us but now we keep the other bandits low and for a price protect the hamlets”.

 

“Oh”. Somehow Ann hadn’t expected that. “What happens with pirates”. 

 

“For one raid we can’t do much, if they come back over and over than we figure out the pattern and crack down. This is out island- besides, bandits are better than pirates”. Magra said that like it was the most obvious fact. 

 

“But pirates can sail”.

 

That started Magra on a tangent. Soon Ann was giggling at the sheer vitriol coming out of his mouth.

 

Still, it was something to keep in mind. 


	24. Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More head canon. Also this is almost at 100 subscribers, anything you guys would want for that (minimally spoilery maybe future, alt ideas (like Ann meets Rayleigh) alt povs etc?)

There were some bandits who didn’t know who her father was.

 

Ann… hadn’t expected that. Somehow, even if she didn’t talk about it, Ann had assumed it was common knowledge. Everyone called her demon brat after all.

 

“It’s only me, Dadan and Magra who know”, Dogra explained after Ann asked why people had been debating who her dad was, she was rather amused to know that Ken thought that she was secretly a noble child that Garp had dropped off for her own protection. It had taken Ann all she had not to burst out laughing at that. She was pretty sure she was the complete opposite. 

 

One of the things she remembered most vividly was Ace’s execution.

 

“What do they know”.

 

“That Garp dropped off a month or something old brat and said we had to raise her”. Ann could feel the fond exasperation. 

 

It was a nice feeling.

 

Nicer still was thinking of all the misinformation she could spread. That was one of Dadan’s more interesting lectures.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feel free to suggest more head canons to why the bandits think Ann is how she is, I really want to know!


	25. Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> over 100 subscribers!

She tells him in quick words, awkward sentences. Talks about the stars and the suns and how bright things are.

 

He smacks her on the head- to quick for her to dodge (he is good at keeping her humble like that).

 

Then he tells her to meditate. To remember herself.

 

She laughs. (If there is one thing she can do- it is remember)

 

Sometime she wonders if the ground will ever have a imprint of her face.

 

She certainly hits it enough.


	26. Chapter 26

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry no Luffy. I wanted to but it didn't line up. Happy Birthday anyways?

“Gramps?”. 

 

“Yes?”, he said gruffly from his spot on the other side of the fire.

 

“I was wondering… if they”, she didn’t say who they were, he already knew, “if they found me what would you do?”.

 

He didn’t say anything. 

 

The next day he was gone. Back to the sea. To the Marines. 


	27. Chapter 27

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So excited for this chapter!

Pushing her way through the undergrowth Ann felt her breath catch in her throat. If there was something made of pure negativity in the world than it would be Grey Terminal. 

 

Ann could feel the pain and sorrow pressing down on her lungs, making it hard to breathe. 

 

She had thought that nothing could be worse then the feeling.

 

Then wind had turned.

 

She was wrong. The smell made it worse, two of her senses being attacked. Ann had no doubt that the others would be hit if she went any closer.

  
  


It was awful.  _ They might have treasures there,  _ Ann reminded herself,  _ Ace went there _ . But Ann wasn't Ace and she had no desire to grope around in other's garbage surrounded by  _ that _ . 

 

Ann turned around and went back to the forest. She had crocodiles to hunt and herbs to gather. 

 

And bandits to bother. She couldn’t forget that. 

XXX

Sabo ran desperately looking for a place to hide. He knew he had been taking a risk when he ran but he just couldn't go back  _ there.  _ He would not be trapped again, anything would be better than that.

 

He was done with cages.


	28. Chapter 28

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is one of the first ones I wrote- back when I didn't think I would publish it. IDK why I just wanted to write that.

Ann now understood why Ace went to Grey Terminal. You could only hunt and run around a forest for so long before it got boring.  _ Blahh,  _ Ann sulked,  _ Its either Tiger Lords or wimps. I know I can't take the lord yet so I am stuck fighting this. I need to find something else to do before I go mad. _

 

She still didn’t want to go to Grey Terminal. She had had enough death.

 

Ann glowered at the small tiger.

 

She didn't even  _ want _ to eat tiger, it had attacked her. She would rather have snake.

 

Thwack, went the hardened wood of her staff on the tiger's head and it went down with a thump.

 

It was all Ann could do to hold back a yawn. Pulling her dagger out of its sheath she slashed the tiger's throat, finishing it off.

 

_ Maybe next time I should go for a bear bear, _ Ann snickered at the pun,  _ handed-- it might be more interesting.  _

 

Getting to work field dressing the tiger Ann quickly broke it down separating the choice cuts from the entrails-- those she would leave for scavengers. 

 

_ The skin would make a good pelt and winter is coming. Fleshing the hide won't take too long. _

 

Carefully Ann prepared the tiger,  _ I've come pretty far from who I was  _ she mused as she worked,  _ Before I would never have been able to do anything like this. I've changed and it's only been six years, who will I be later?  _

 

Shaking her head to get off that track Ann finished skinning the tiger.

 

Wrapping the bloody meat up in the skin, she tied it up with the rope she had brought to make a makeshift bag before looking up. Carefully not touching her bloody hand to her face Ann shaded her eyes to look at the sun. 

 

_ About time to head back,  _ she decided. 

 

_ It's hard to remain wary when nothing really seems to happen,  _ Ann mused as she walked back to the hideout. 

She crossed the river, jumping on the heads of the crocodiles (bong bong bong), walked across the creaky rope bridge and finally crested the ridge just as the shadows started to lengthen. 

 

Ducking though the trees and heavy cover that characterised the area around the bandits hideout and walked back in, carrying her makeshift bag over one shoulder.

 

"I'm back" Ann called out.

 

"Welcome back brat" Dogra called, "you brought dinner?"

 

"Yep, stupid tiger ran right at me" Ann walked over to the fire and Dogra, opening the makeshift bag show her catch.

 

"You know it's stuff like that that gets you called a demon" Dogra said as he helped her prep the meat for dinner, "brat like you taking down a tiger. You are only six, even if you don't act like it".

 

"I am six, therefore I act like I'm six" Ann retorted with all the wisdom of (feigned) childhood,  _ it's true I don't really act like a kid but considering, well, everything it was probably the right choice. _

 

"True" Dogra said laughing for a bit before throwing the now cubed tiger steak into the pot.

 

"Stew again?" Ann said, making a face,  _ it wasn't that she didn't like stew but they had been eating it all week. _

 

"Whose cooking here brat" Dogra said rolling his eyes, he opened his mouth to say something else when--

 

"Whens food ready, do you want us to waste away" , came Dadan’s harsh yell, interrupting.

 

"It'll be ready when it's ready" Ann shouted back before taking to spoon and giving the stew a stir, ignoring the grumbles her shout had incited. 

 

Big babies.


	29. Chapter 29

Ann had tried to take up meditating since Gramps had come by. She had tried to explain a little to the bandits but they hadn't been helpful.

 

It wasn’t like banditry was really conducive to meditation and peace after all.

 

Just boredom, seeing as they wouldn’t let Ann come along on their jobs.

 

_ I’ll just have to find my own entertainment.  _ There had to be more settlements then just Gray Terminal. A port or something like it for instance. 


	30. Chapter 30

For Ann, walking into the village was weird. She wasn't sure if it was Windmill village or not but she had passed a lot of windmills so it was a pretty good guess.

 

She was guessing it at least.

 

It was odd though, as she walked down the dirt road she had found, barefoot with her scuffy dirt stained clothes and her worn, ripped shoes. 

 

Ann knew she didn’t fit. 

 

She felt something tickling the back of her neck, someone was watching her,  _ No surprise _ Ann mused,  _ I am new here _ . 

 

It was loud. Not out of her head but in it, there was none of the nausea that came with being by Grey Terminal but it was still so much more than the mountain.

 

So much more. 

 

It was hard not to gape, her experiences in this new life were all the forest and the bandits hut not this old fashion looking but cozy looking village.

 

It was different, not that Ann was complaining. She was ready for different.

 

All  she needed to do was figure out where to start. 


	31. Chapter 31

It smelled good. 

 

That was what drew her there. Carefully Ann nudged the door open, it was a bar. Bars were open spaces so it wasn’t like she was breaking in or anything.

 

Besides, she wanted to know what the smell was.

 

It smelled like baking things. She missed baking.

 

Slipping through the door she followed the smell to the back. Ann glanced around, there were a few people eating but they hadn’t noticed her.

 

The way was clear. 

 

As long as she moved before her stomach betrayed her. 

 

Carefully sliding her way through the back door she found herself in a well lit kitchen where a bright, she was so bright it took Ann a second to focus out again, women was baking cookies.

 

She was baking cookies.

 

Ann felt her fingers itching. “Can I help?”.


	32. Chapter 32

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Makino is the first (and possibly only) Responsible Adult in this entire fic. Just sayin~

“Can I help?” Makino heard a small voice ask.

 

She turned. Then blinked. 

 

Blinked again.

 

There was a small child with their hands covering their mouth, cropped hair and grubby clothes. 

 

They looked remarkably out of place in her clean kitchen.

 

Except for the way they were looking at the bowl in her hands. That was a longing she normally only saw on Luffy’s face right before a meal. Any meal.

 

Makino felt herself soften. “Wash your hands first”. 

 

“Right”, the kid said, she really needed to figure out the kids name and where they were from, Makino knew the children of Windmill village and this one wasn’t familiar in the slightest, but the excitement in their voice made her smile.

 

“What type of cookies are they?”, the kid asked as they looked at the sink. Makino thought she saw a moment of hesitation before they turned on the plumbing. That was another check for out of town, Windmill was lucky enough to be connected.

 

“Chocolate chip”

 

What ever reply the kid was about to make was drowned out by the roar that came from their stomach. 

 

That. Was. It.

 

Makino was going to feed this kid. 

 

She should probably find out their name first.


	33. Chapter 33

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hey there at this chapter there are 8888 words. This makes me happy :D

“I’m Makino. What’s your name?”, Makino said gently as Ann formed a cookie.

 

“Ann”. 

 

“Are you from around here”.

 

Ann debated telling the truth. What was the harm, really. “I live on the mountain”.

 

“Do you have parents”.

 

“Not really”. Ann could feel Makino’s worry double. That was not good at all. “I like the people I live with through”, she hastened to reassure Makino. Ann was surprised about how true that rang. The bandits would have been awful for a real child, yes, but for an adult in a child’s body they actually worked out pretty well.

 

It helped that they didn’t know enough about kids to realize how out there she was. 

 

Her stomach gurgled again. 

 

“While these bake do you want something to eat”.

 

“I can’t pay”, Ann admitted, blushing. She hadn’t planned on anything like this happening.

 

Ann restrained her urge to flinch as Makino ruffled her hair. “This one’s payment for an excellent batch of cookies”.

 

“Are you sure?”. 

 

“I am”. 


	34. Chapter 34

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oh Ann. The Camel's nose is in the tent now.

Ann had high tailed it out as soon as Makino’s back was turned. As nice, and she was so very nice, as the woman was Ann could feel her worry.

 

And Ann really did not need people asking questions. So she grabbed her cookies, protiers were important, and high tailed it out. 

 

By the time she had made it up to the house it was dark out.

 

“Did none of you guys make anything to eat?”. Ann demanded as she got back.

 

There were just a bunch off embarrassed mumbles. 

 

“Honestly”. 

 

“Are those cookies”, Grant asked.

 

“Yes”. They were cookies. Ann’s cookies. That she had made. And was going to eat. 

 

“It was my birthday”.

 

“And”.

 

“And I would really like some cookies from my favorite demon?”.  It really had been his birthday.

 

He was guilt tripping her. He was guilt tripping her and it was working. Because she had always baked on her friends birthdays and cackled as the got stuck with twenty four of some baked goods and had to deal with it. 

 

“Here”. She tossed them at his face.

 

Ann could be a little petty when she wanted to be.


	35. Chapter 35

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> picture that.

The problem with giving Grant cookies was that suddenly everyone wanted cookies.

 

Even Dadan got into it (she was not good at puppy dog eyes. They gave Ann nightmares).

 

It was like that book Ann vaguely remembered, ‘if you give a mouse a cookie’ , except everything was just, “are there more cookies Ann” and, “it's my birthday too”, that one was especialy annoying. Ann knew when their birthdays were. They were lying liars who lied.

 

Bandits in other words.

 

And the worst part was that it tugged on Ann’s shirved heart strings. They wanted to eat their baking.

 

Also Ann wanted to bake. She was selfish. Sue her (if you could catch her that is, life on the mountain had made her fast).

 

So she decided to go down the mountain again. Hopefully Makino would be willing to let her bake. She had even begged Dogra for money.

 

Ann was calling it back pay for all the cooking she did. Puppy dog eyes helped with that.

 

So while Ann wasn’t quite sure how much money she had, she had hope that it would be enough that Makino would let her bake again.

 

Hopefully.


	36. Chapter 36

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I swear i have a cookie plan (probably)

“Did you like the cookies we made last time”, Makino asked as they started work on the next batch.

 

She had refused Ann’s money, saying her company was more than enough.

 

Ann blushed. “I didn’t have any”, she admitted. 

 

Ann had meant to, but then Grant had asked and it had been his birthday. He had eaten all the cookies.

 

Meanie. 

 

“Well lets fix that then. This time when we finish the batch you are going to eat two whole cookies before I let you go”, Makino said, bopping Ann on the nose.

 

_ Try and stop me.  _ Ann through rebelliously.

 

But she really wanted to make cookies. So she did. 

 

And as she shoved the first warm gooey mess into her mouth Ann did have to admit she had missed cookies.

She was still saving a few for the bandits.  

 

They deserved cookies too.


End file.
